FLOW OF ENERGY IN ECOSYSTEMS

Its all about what you eat!

An organism is …..

Any independent living thing

Can be as small as a single celled bacteria

Or as large as a whale!

Categories of Feeding Relationships 1) Producers

2) Consumers

3) Decomposers

4) Detritivores

5) Scavengers

They are all depend on each other.

Primary Producers

organisms that use energy to make food . (PLANTS)

Process is photosynthesis

Equation: CO2 + water - C6H12O6 + O2

Or from chemicals –

- Chemosynthesis – uranium, arsenic, sulfur, nitrogen

Autotrophs

Term for primary producers- Auto – a prefix meaning oneself

Trophic- relating to food or nutrition

Can make their own food and use it for energy to power themselves.

Consumers

Consumers need to eat their food to get energy. (ANIMALS)

Types of consumers are

There are THREE types of Consumers

Carnivores

Herbivores

Omnivores.

Scavenger

Detritivor and Decomposer

Its still all about what you eat!

Heterotrophs –

Hetero- other / troph- feeding.

Carnivores only eat meat (other animals)

Herbivores eat only plants.

Omnivores eat both meat (animals) and plants.

Decomposers and Detritivore

Decomposers an organism that chemically break down the cells of dead plants and animals into simpler substances. 

-releases organic nutrients to the ecosystem

Examples:

Mushrooms

Bacteria

Detritivores

an animal that feeds on dead organic material, especially plant detritus.

Similar to decomposers

Examples – fungus, bacteria, worms, many other invertebrates.

What would the world look like without decomposers (bacteria and fungi?

Stop…Review…Check…Turn to your partner and tell them the meaning of each word. Also give two examples of each. Carnivore:

Herbivore:

Omnivore:

Decomposer

Detritivore

How they relate

.

Stop…Review…Check…Turn to your partner and tell them the meaning of each word. Also give two example of each. Producers:

Consumers:

Decomposers:

Detritivore:

Energy and Biomass Pyramids

On a sheet of note book paper describe the following animals as either a producer, consumer or decomposer. For the consumers, make sure to include if they are a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore. Please use complete sentences! (Ex: A _____ is a ______.)1. Bear

2. Shark

3. Rabbit

4. Cherry tree

5. Mushroom

6. Human

7. Tulip (flower)

8. Panther

9. Giraffe

10. Worm

Practice and Create Your Own

Answer Key